In a major development regarding same-sex marriage, Pope Francis has suggested the possibility of new ways to bless the union of homosexual couples. The pope made this remark while responding to five conservative cardinals who challenged him to affirm church teaching on homosexuality. He said that such blessings could be studied if they didnt confuse the blessing with wedding ceremonies of heterosexuals, as per media reports.“We cannot be judges who only deny, reject, and exclude,” he said.He also said that the Church still considered same-sex relationships “objectively sinful” and would not recognise same-sex marriage.Conservative Cardinal questioned Pope FrancisThe cardinals from Asia, Europe, Africa, the United States and Latin America, sent the pope a set of formal questions, known as “dubia” about issues relating to a global gathering that starts at the Vatican on Wednesday.One of the questions sent revolved around the increase in practices of same-sex marriage being blessed, which has become quite common in places in Germany.The written exchanges between the Vatican and the cardinals took place in July but the Vatican published the popes responses on Monday after the five cardinals unilaterally disclosed their initiative. The Five cardinals said that they were not satisfied with Francis answers.The pope gave a seven-point response in which he mentioned that the sacrament of matrimony could only be between a man and woman and open to procreation. It also said that the Church should avoid any other ritual or sacramental rite that contradicted this teachingHe however also added that “pastoral charity should permeate all our decisions and attitudes” while also saying that “we cannot be judges who only deny, reject and exclude”.Church on same-sex unionAccording to the church, same-sex attraction is not sinful but homosexual acts are. The pope said that requests for blessings were a means through which people reached out to God for better lives, even if some acts were “objectively morally unacceptable”.He said sometimes, pastoral charity requires that people be treated as sinners who might not be entirely at fault for their conditions.New Ways Ministry respondsEven though such a response was not a “full-fledged, ringing endorsement” of such blessings, it was still welcomed by Francis DeBernardo, said. DeBernardo is the executive director of New Ways Ministry, which promotes Church outreach to LGBT Catholics.Blessings Guidance Significantly Advances Pope Francis Affirmation of LGBTQ+ People(Statement of Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director of New Ways Ministry) 1/13— New Ways Ministry (@NewWaysMinistry) October 2, 2023DeBernardo made a statement saying that the Popes words implied “that the church does indeed recognise that holy love can exist between same-gender couples, and the love of these couples mirrors the love of God”.
